The Spinervals Cycling Series is the result now of 10 years of investing in the development and creation of a year-round indoor training program for recreational and competitive cyclists. Since the first Spinervals VHS was released to the public back in 1997, a worldwide audience of cyclists and fitness enthusiasts of all levels have used our workouts to enhance their training. With so many workouts in our Spinervals series (over 30), we receive lots of inquiries as to how to most effectively incorporate the DVDs into a winter training program. Well, the truth is -- there is no one answer to this question but as the creator of the series, I can offer some suggestions based on how it was originally intended for use.

Spinervals 101 Lecture with Coach Troy

I developed the concept of the Spinervals Series as an aspiring coach starting back in 1992 and there has been an evolution to that development over the years. Originally, the workouts I taught to athletes in classes at gyms and bike shops were all very high intensity and varied workouts of 45-60 minutes in duration. The reason for this was simple -- I wanted to keep the athletes interested in the program, entertained and avoid boredom. You see, indoor training on the bike is inherently boring! If people get bored, they stop training and once they stop training, they stop improving. This is the main reason why people fail to see continuous year-round improvement -- they get bored and lose focus. Hence, a key to developing a successful training program is to do it so that the athlete doesn't get bored.

At the same time, the workouts need to be purposeful. Spinervals is all about 'interval training' (spin + intervals = spinervals!) and as anyone in endurance athletics knows, interval training is a pillar of success. At first, Spinervals workouts were all about heart pounding, leg ripping, lactic acid producing, vein bulging high intensity intervals. The more people threw up in one of my classes (oh, and they did! Heh heh heh ? ), the better! Of course, this philosophy was influenced by my own attitude and racing at the time as an up and coming, soon to be pro triathlete. "No Pain, No Gain" was my motto and the athletes I coached were 'victims' (heh heh heh) of this concept. Fortunately for their results and my career as a coach, it worked and people I coached got faster and stronger.

With age comes wisdom and with time comes evolution. As a coach, I evolved and understood more and more due to experience and learning that getting faster AND staying healthy in the process was more than just pounding out super hard interval sets on the trainer all winter long. And as the cycling and multisport participation demographics started to mature and get older, it became clear to me that the 'masters' athlete could do some hard interval work but couldn't (and shouldn't) overdo it, for as you age, you also recover slower and get injured easier. The Spinervals Series evolved again.

Nowadays, the series exists as a year round training solution and if utilized properly, can enhance the fitness and skill-sets of any and all cyclists. The basic premise is still the same -- interval training develops people into better athletes. The key is 'how' and 'when' to do certain intervals. And of course, there's time for some 'steady state' training too.

So with all this said, how do you use the Spinervals Series? Well, as mentioned at the start of this piece, there is no 'right way' and as with lots of things in life, there are many paths to walk down in order to reach the same destination. Nevertheless, let me offer some basic suggestions.

First of all, the more you ride, the better you get at riding. You've heard of 'perfect practice makes perfect'. This is so true, especially with endurance sports training and in particular with cycling. Ride six days a week and you'll be better off than if you ride only three days a week -- simple.

Secondly, you need to train your various 'energy systems' and work on various 'skill sets' on the bike in order to be a well-rounded rider and reach your athletic potential. There are no short cuts when it comes to endurance sports training!

By energy systems, I mean the basic three: Aerobic, Anaerobic and Sprint/Power. By Skill Sets, I mean skills such as high cadence pedaling, 'ankling' when pushing a big gear, standing up, climbing seated, etc. In order for the body to adapt and get stronger in a certain way, it needs to be trained in that exact way. This is a fundamental principle in training known as "specificity". And lucky for you, the Spinervals Series is all about specificity!

So, you have three basic energy systems and various skill sets you need to improve plus you want to stay motivated, focused and not get bored. It's time to start training.

Depending on your riding experience and other factors, the number of times you ride each week will vary but for the purpose of this article, I'm going to suggest that you ride 5 -- 6 days per week in order to see serious improvement. Of those 5-6 days, the foundation of all of your training should be 'aerobic' work. Why? Because aerobic training is what builds your 'base' and creates the physiological infrastructure that is so important for endurance athletes/cyclists. In addition, depending on the level of intensity of your aerobic ride, it can also serve as an 'active recovery' workout from a hard day or a 'technique / skill development' day. Therefore, 2 or 3 workouts each week should be 'aerobic' and for these you can use one of the 'aero base builder' workouts in the Spinervals Series (Spinervals 8, 12, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23 or 25).

Each week you should also incorporate an 'endurance' ride or 'high end aerobic' ride into your program. As the name indicates, this longer ride of two or more hours helps build your muscular strength and endurance while also enhancing your aerobic energy system, the transport of nutrients to working muscles, oxygen utilization, fatty acid mobilization, etc. All good and important stuff for endurance athletes! For this weekly endurance ride, consider Spinervals 5.0, 9.0, 13.0, 15.0, 25.0 and 26.0

Next, you need that 'threshold building' workout in your program. That is, one that builds strength, lactic acid clearing capabilities and your ability to sustain higher levels of output for longer. I also like to call this 'time trial' or 'tempo' pace. Great workouts for accomplishing this objective include Spinervals 7.0, 11.0, 14.0, 19.0 an 22.0, 24.0

Finally, you want a workout that focuses on skill (leg speed) and anaerobic power development. These are what I call 'anaerobic variety' workouts and they contain lots of varied interval sets ranging from short power sprints of 10 seconds to ladders to pyramids. These workouts are fun and interesting and really help to reduce the boredom factor, making workouts go by faster. Try Spinervals 1.0, 3.0, 4.0, 6.0, 10.0, 20.0, 23.0

Here's a sample week using some of the ideas presented above:

COMPETITIVE CYCLIST

Monday: REST DAY
Tuesday: Spinervals 16 (aerobic / technique)
Wednesday: Spinervals 14 (strength / time trial)
Thursday: Spinervals 12 (technique / recovery)
Friday: Spinervals 23 / workout C (Power / speed)
Saturday: Spinervals 13 (aerobic /endurance)
Sunday: Spinervals 21 (aerobic / technique)


Keeping in mind the important concept of periodization, this sample week might be recommended for an experienced and competitive cyclist in January who starts racing in March or April.

Here's another example for a beginner to intermediate recreational cyclist:

RECREATIONAL CYCLIST

Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: Spinervals 8 (Technique / aerobic)
Wednesday: Spinervals 23/ workout B (strength / Time trial)
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: Spinervals with IronGirl / Workout B (anaerobic variety / power , speed)
Saturday: Spinervals 25.0 (aerobic endurance)
Sunday: Rest

Again, depending on the athlete's experience and where they stand in their annual training progression, the focus of the workout schedule might change. Strength training is also important for maximum health and improvement but that is beyond the scope of this particular article. Use these recommendations only as a guideline and consider having a coach help you define your most effective training plan.

Used properly, the Spinervals Series can help you enjoy your indoor cycling more by giving every workout a purpose as you work towards your key goals. Train smart and enjoy the process.

To view the entire Spinervals Series, Click HERE. Members of CoachTroy.com receive 20% on all DVDs at Checkout!

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